UCLA researchers lay out the probabilities that a person will develop Alzheimer’s disease dementia based on age, gender and the results of biomarker tests, which can detect the presence of certain protein fragments in brain and spinal fluid or for brain cell changes linked with the disease.

A new algorithm more accurately predicts which people will survive heart failure, and for how long, whether or not they receive a heart transplant. The algorithm would allow doctors to make more personalized assessments of people who are awaiting heart transplants, which in turn could enable health care providers to make better use of limited life-saving resources and potentially reduce health care costs.

From robotics and machine learning to new applications for MRIs, Keck School of Medicine of USC scientists will present research highlighting the impact of technology on patient outcomes and the field of urology at the American Urological Association 2018 annual meeting May 18–21 in San Francisco.

FINDINGS UCLA-led research suggests that receiving support from friends and acquaintances can help prevent black men who have sex with men from becoming infected with HIV. BACKGROUND Black men who have sex with men have disproportionately high rates of HIV infection. While social connections are known to influence the behaviors that influence people’s risk for HIV, little is known about whether they affect the risk for becoming infected with HIV.